• Submitted by: manso
• Sports
• 05 / 19 / 2011

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Cuba's men's volleyball team has departed for Bulgaria to complete their final preparations for the 22nd World League tournament, to be held May 27 through July 10, ending in the Polish city of Gdansk.

Given the official announcement of the replacement of Roberlandy Simón, Yoandy Leal and Raidel Hierrezuelo, the Cuban coach Orlando Samuels will be traveling with a very young team, led by the new captain, Wilfredo León, who will share the auxiliary attacker position with three others.

Along with the 17 year old León, Rolando Cepeda, Henry Bell and Dennys Hernández will play in this position, while the setters are Yoandri Díaz, Lian Sem Estrada and Leandro Macías.

Completing the team are the middle hitters Osmany Camejo, Dariel Albó and Yasser Perdomo, along with the opposite hitters Fernando Hernández and Liván Osoria, plus the líberos Keibel Gutiérrez and Yosniel Guillén.

According to current plans, Samuels' team with head for South Korea after their stay in Bulgaria, to enter their first event in the League's preliminary round, where they will compete, as the visiting team in group D beginning May 28 through July 1.

The International Federation has scheduled Cuba to open its campaign in South Korea with games on the 28th and 29th; then the team will travel to Italy to play on June 2 and June 5, finishing the first round in France, competing on the 9th and 11th of June.

The second preliminary round will also begin in South Korea (June 18 and 19), continuing in France (the 24th and 25th) and winding up in Italy with two games on June 29 and July 1.

The other groups include teams from the following countries: Brazil, United States, Poland and Puerto Rico (A), Russia, Bulgaria, Germany and Japan (B), and Serbia, Argentina, Finland and Portugal (C).

The first and second place teams within each group will compete in the championship final in Poland, a plan which is subject to change if the Polish team should win a spot. In this situation, the four first place teams will advance to the finals, along with the three best second place teams. The eight team roster would be completed with the inclusion of the host team.

(AIN)